In Charge
by babyphd
Summary: Jed has a visitor from his past.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Abbey, I got a phone call today."

"You did? From whom?"

"Somebody I knew quite well and wants to see me while she's in Washington tomorrow."

"Well, who is it Jed? Don't keep me in suspense."

He rolled over to face Abbey. They both were in bed, but were still reading.

"Abbey, I knew her many years ago and she had a profound influence on me. At least until I met you."

"Jed! Who is it? And why are you having so much difficulty telling me about her? An old girlfriend?"

Jed had been a theology student when they had first met so the idea of a serious girlfriend prior to her was a strange thought. Abbey knew he had not had many encounters when they had first 'done it'. In fact, though she had been a virgin, she had experienced more things than he had so she had coached him through their first time. But he had been a quick learner and soon she was experiencing things she had never dreamed of. In fact, there was this one time….

Abbey quickly shook her head. This was not a good time. He seemed too distracted for sex.

Jed shook his head. "No. Not an old girlfriend. An old teacher. From my senior year."

Abbey twisted her head to better see her husband's face. Jed had gone to all Catholic schools. His elementary school was Our Lady of Sacred Heart and his high school had been his father's New Hampshire Academy until his senior year when he had transferred to All Saints. And his only teachers at All Saints had been Sisters.

Nuns? His visitor tomorrow was a nun?

"Jed, who's coming?"

He looked at Abbey and then dropped his eyes to the sheets. He seemed to counting every thread of the sheet until Abbey reached over and forced his head back up.

"Jed, is the teacher a Sister? And she taught you when?"

"High School."

Inside, Abbey was dying to know what secrets he was hiding. The brilliant man, the caring man, the sexual man. Why was he so upset about a former teacher wanting to see him? That made her even more anxious to know why he was so hesitant to see his former teacher.

"That's great. In fact, why not invite her up to the Residence for dinner? There are no functions tomorrow night and I would love to hear her stories."

"Are you sure, Abbey? I mean, you could be disappointed if you knew what she could tell you about me."

That only made Abbey more curious.

"Absolutely! About seven?"

"I'll tell her."

"Well, you sound real enthused."

"I'm okay with it."

Abbey changed her mind and decided that Jed needed some distraction. To hell with the early wake-up calls.

"Good, now about your promise during dinner for fireworks tonight, I'm ready."

She sat up and pulled her nightgown over her head, to leave only bare skin in plain view.

Jed's body reacted physically. But Sister Margaret was on his mind. And that did nothing to put him in the mood he wanted to be in.

"Not tonight, Abbey."

Abbey looked at him, confused. Normally, it would have taken Jed only two point six seconds to attack her. Her body had already started aching in anticipation of his onslaught.

Whatever he shared with this Sister Margaret must be very big.

Jed turned his back on his naked wife and switched off his light.

But sleep was a long time coming.

For both of them.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sister Margaret. I'm so glad you called. Jed has talked a lot about you."

Abbey flinched. Here she was lying in front of a Sister. She would probably burn in hell for that one.

She quickly guided the Sister to the appropriate chair at the table. Jed had yet to appear, again caught by the needs of the country.

On remote control, Abbey asked Sister Margaret if she would like a drink. Immediately, she realized what she had offered.

"No, I meant a glass of water or something."

"That's okay, Mrs. Bartlet. A glass of water would be nice."

Abbey blushed, but poured a glass of wine for herself and handed Sister Margaret a glass of water.

"Sister Margaret, I understand you taught my husband in high school. What subject?"

"World History."

"That's nice."

Abbey took a sip of wine and decided to ask the one question she had been dying to ask since their conversation last night.

"Sister Margaret, my husband and I met in college, but he has said little about his early years in school. I know his father was headmaster at a private school and he attended there. How did you meet him?"

"Well, he was so upset at the private school that his father finally agreed to a transfer his senior year. It took some effort, but finally the transfer was arranged and I met him at All Saints that last year."

"What kind of student was he?"

"Diligent. He completed almost every assignment before it was due. He loved to get up in class and debate on the slightest provocation. In fact, by the end of the term, no one would ever challenge him because they always lost."

Abbey smiled. Almost fifty years later, he hadn't changed.

"Sister, if I can ask, why do you remember my husband so well? I mean it was your first year of teaching and you must have had thousands of students since then. How can you remember Josiah Bartlet so well?"

"Don't answer that, Sister."

At that very moment, the President of the United States had entered the dining room.


	3. Chapter 3

Both women were startled at the statement.

Abbey looked at her husband, who obviously was very upset.

She looked back at Sister Margaret, who reflected Jed's anxiety.

More curious than ever, she pressed ahead.

"Sister, I would love to know why you remember my husband so well."

Abbey could tell Jed was nervous. But she needed to know.

Especially based on their reactions.

Sister Margaret took another sip of water and turned to face her former student.

"Mr. President, I'm so glad to see you. It has been too many years."

"Yes. It has." He laid a gentle kiss on her wrinkled forehead. The fifty or so years had been gentle to her.

Jed sat down at the table and sent his wife a visual message not to go any further.

Abbey saw and understood the visual stop sign, but continued anyway.

She waited until the main course had been served. Then she continued the quest to find out what the big secret was.

After another sip of wine, Abbey asked Sister Margaret to continue on with her story.

A quick glance at her former student told Sister Margaret that there was nothing more to say.

"No. If your husband wants to tell you, that's fine. But no more from me tonight."

Abbey was disappointed. What possible secret between Jed and Sister Margaret would be so threatening, so frightening that neither one of them could speak about it?

Eventually, she would find out.

Maybe not tonight, but at some point she would have to know.


	4. Chapter 4

Later that night, Jed and Abbey were getting ready for bed and the inevitable question was asked.

"Jed, I have to know why neither Sister Margaret nor you could give me the answer I needed for my question tonight."

Jed shrugged his shoulders, trying to throw Abbey off this line of questioning.

"It's nothing, Abbey. Now, come to bed."

"NO! Not until you answer that question."

That made Jed angry. "I don't want to answer the question. Okay! Just know that some secrets are better kept secret!"

"But I'm your wife. I need to know everything that affects our relationship and right now the secret you're hiding is affecting that relationship."

Jed looked deep into her emerald green eyes and knew how to interpret what he saw.

'

'Don't mess with me tonight' was coming through loud and clear.

He quickly realized he had no choice. He had to share this with Abbey. Maybe that was God's way of saying the burden he had carried all these years was about to be shared.

"Come over here. It's time I shared this with someone. It's been a long time since it happened and I guess its time for the burden to be lifted."

Jed and Abbey sat down on the sofa. Her head was nestled in his neck, trying to give support to his trembling body. She couldn't meet his eyes, fearful of her reaction if she saw the fear in them that she knew would be there.

She quietly listened to the story.

"Sister Margaret was a first year teacher the year I transferred to All Saints. In the spring, just before graduation, I was working on an extra credit project after school. Sister Margaret had been so helpful to me the whole year and I just wanted to please her. So she asked my assistance with cataloguing all of her newspaper clips of world events she had saved over the past year. I left her room to get some more supplies. I had been gone only a few minutes when I opened the door and saw….."

Abbey looked at her husband when he paused. His skin was chalky white and his eyes had a far away glaze. Tiny beads of sweat were appearing on his brow and she could feel his trembling.

"Jed, its alright." Abbey turned away from looking into his eyes. Her fear of what she would find prevented that. But she could stroke his arms, trying to calm whatever he was thinking.

"Please continue. But only if you want to."

After a few minutes that Jed used to calm himself, he continued his story.

"I stood at the door and watched as Dan Hill, he was a defensive football player, was touching Sister Margaret in the wrong places. I found out later, much later, that Dan was flunking the class and needed a C in World History to pass and graduate. I have no clue why he thought doing what he was doing would get the grade changed. I guess he was trying to intimidate Sister."

Abbey now looked up at him. Tears were rolling down his face.

"Jed, what happened?"

He took a deep breath.

"Nothing. I mean, I stood at the door and watched it happen. I did nothing. It was like I was frozen to the spot. But eventually I ran over and punched him. As hard as I could. Now mind you, I was all of 150 pounds and he was like a hundred pounds heavier and much more muscle. But I fought with all my might to get him off Sister. He did eventually move away and leave the room.

"God, Abbey, what would have happened if I had stayed in the door? I should have immediately run to her assistance. I told her later that I had entered the room just before I got to Dan. But I hadn't. Don't you see? If I would have moved sooner, maybe I could have prevented some of that awful stuff."

Abbey sat up and hugged her husband. Just as hard as she could. He had been living with guilt for fifty years. Fifty years of thinking he could have prevented the attack on Sister Margaret. Fifty years of second guessing what should have been.

"Come on to bed. You need some hugging tonight. And some forgiveness. You need to forgive yourself. You prevented more of the attack. You might have even prevented a much more serious situation. You did okay, Jed."

She led a reluctant partner to their bed. Only hugging would help his pain tonight. Only the warmth of her special love could begin to heal the festering emotional wounds that had been so long suppressed. Shoved down into the darkest hole he had, only to surface fifty long years later.

Healing had to begin. And only Abbey could help to initiate that process.


	5. Chapter 5

"Mr. President, a Sister Margaret is on the line. She says she would like to speak directly to you."

"Yes, Debbie, I'll take it."

Jed picked up the phone.

"Josiah, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the dinner the last night. It was great catching up with you. You have done well, Josiah and I'm proud of you."

"Well, thank you Sister. It was great seeing you as well."

"And Josiah?"

"Yes?"

"God forgives you and I do as well. Just remember that. Goodbye."

The line went dead.

How did she know about the guilt that's been with him for such a long time?

He called the Residence to ask Abbey if she had spoken with Sister Margaret since dinner the previous night.

"No, Jed, why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering."

He hung up the phone and sat back in his big leather chair, not focusing on anything in particular.

How did the Sister know about his guilt? They had never spoken about the incident since it happened.

At that very moment, a ray of sunlight burst though the windows of the Oval Office and highlighted the eagle embroidered in the center of the carpet. The shaft of light focused on the eagle's claw holding the olive branch.

The olive branch.

A symbol of peace.

He was indeed forgiven.

By a much higher authority.

After a brief moment of prayer, he crossed himself and went back to the country's business.

He knew who was in charge.

And would forever be.

THE END


End file.
